The Gujarat government recently issued an order denotifying the Rathvas as a tribe ostensibly because their school
records show them to be Hindus. The government's argument is that the Rathvas cannot be adivasis if they are Hindus. What makes the move ominous is that the Chhota Udepur region inhabited by the Rathvas is mineral-rich and laws that protect adivasi rights come in the way of corporate exploitation of these resources. The order could also set a precedent to threaten adivasis elsewhere who protest against the loot of natural resources in their areas.
